State issues burn ban

Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark has banned all outdoor fires on lands protected by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Hot and dry conditions have made the potential for wildfire unusually high on both sides of the Cascade Mountains. Significant demands are being placed upon fire suppression resources from both regional and statewide firefighting efforts. This ban is now in effect through Sept. 30 and prohibits campfires in developed campgrounds and other recreational fires. The ban also prohibits prescribed burns.

“Now is the time to be vigilant. It is everyone’s responsibility to be appropriately cautious during this season,” Goldmark said. “The risk of wildfire is unusually high and the consequences could be catastrophic. We have hundreds of firefighters fighting two major wildfires and numerous smaller fires in Washington State. Our resources are stretched thin.”